Evans as a metaphor

Without derogating the seriousness of the crime allegedly committed by Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, alias Evans ‘the intelligent kidnapper’, his misconduct draws attention to many contradictions in our ailing society. For days after the story broke, his escapades received cult-like attention in the news, with some reports digging into properties he had acquired, his family members, their lifestyle and their reactions to the dastardly accusations against the infamous fellow.

As expected, Nigerians were shocked by the exploits of Evans and his organized gang, spanning across many cities, mainly within Lagos State. They were also allegations that some highly placed persons and law enforcement agents may have connived with Evans and his team, described as arguably the most intelligent kidnap-kingpin of our time. Evans soon started singing like canary, and as days passed, he even asked for another chance to make up for his past deeds.

The police officials who busted the crime were hailed and celebrated, and their leader, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kyari, praised as a gifted crime buster. Interestingly, on the same day Evans and his gang were busted, there were stories in the dailies with respect to the lingering allegations of humongous corrupt enrichment by former Air Force Chiefs Alex Badeh, and Amosu, who are facing trials for allegedly stealing billions of naira, from the coffers of the Nigeria Air Force. Since Evans case, the cases against Olisa Metuh, Nenadi Usman and Femi Fani-Kayode, involving humongous sums allegedly appropriated from state coffers, have also come up.

While Evans family got general condemnation over the allegations against him, Badeh’s son for instance, who at a time during the alleged criminal exploits of his father was in charge of ordering the disbursement of Air Force resources to build a private estate, as if it was his father’s a private resources, has not been given such a close attention like the children of Evans. Of course the same unequal treatment, in denouncing, naming and shaming of Evans family is applicable with respect to the families of other politically-exposed criminal kingpins living large from the proceeds of their breadwinners’ crime.

The point is that the society does not feel sufficiently appalled when the crime alleged, is what can be regarded as a white-collar crime. I bet that if the public is asked to place on a scale, the crime allegedly committed by Evans and that allegedly committed by Badeh and the rest of the gang that raped our national resources, particularly through the office of the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, that of Evans would weigh many tons more than the other criminal kingpins.

Yet, if there is a sociological study of the destructive impact of the crime committed by Evans and those who stole billions of the resources meant for arms purchase, development of physical and social national infrastructure for instance, that of the latter may have been more impactful. The point I am making, is that even though the white collar criminals may be more insidious than the rough and tumble of the street gangsters, our society appears not to care as much.

Here, the recent admonition of Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo to churches to expel her members facing corruption charges comes to mind. Indeed, comparing Evans with the white-collar criminals, I bet that while no faith-based organization would openly socialize with Evans while his ordeal lasts, many would with pomp and pageantry celebrate with those accused of having engaged in the white-collar crimes since the society don’t feel equally offended. A further outcome of this discrimination in favour of the white-collar crimes as manifested in the Evans case is cynicism.

Not long after the family of Evans was given attention by the media, there was a hashtag for FreeEvans, which gained a lot of notoriety. While that movement is reprehensible, my guess is that the messengers are telling the authorities that what Evans is engaged in, is not much different from what those in positions of power are engaged in – criminal endeavour. In a way, it is also a vote of no-confidence on the criminal justice system – the believe that with enough resources the rich don’t get punished; so, what is good enough for the upper class white-collar criminals should apply to Evans of the underclass.

Another significant import of Evans banditry is the wretched state of our security infrastructure. When a criminal ridicules the state, by evading its dragnet as Evans did for several years, or when criminals write to schools in Epe or elsewhere that they will strike and they go ahead to do exactly that, or when the cultists in Ikorodu, engage in an orgy of ritualistic murder with the Police appearing helpless; not many will be able to link it with the absence of reliable data of persons living in an area, otherwise called census.

So, when the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in a self-serving manoeuvre or out of ignorance, says that it is more expedient to hold an election that will be fraught with irregularities because of lack of reliable data, than to organise the national census, long overdue, to gain, among other benefits, biometric data that would knock off an Evans and give the state the muscle to deal with crime, he misses the important point.

The Speaker, like others of his ilk, who maybe beclouded by politics, instead of the gains and the magic associated with the technology of modern data, like the ATM, reinforces preference for the opacity of the current era. They forget that each time the kidnapper climbs the school fence, to take away our children, every time the cultist scurries the neighbourhood to kill and maim, each door the armed robber breaks to gain an entry, he leaves his fingerprints, and with a mere push of button, the data would pop up, to save future victims, if we have a reliable data.

Another significant reflection from the Evans saga is the failure or inefficiency of the so-called registration of SIM-cards. If as reported, Evans had over a hundred SIM-cards, all pre-registered before he bought them, then I can understand why, I, like many other Nigerians, still get a call or a text from persons obviously trying to dupe with idiotic tales about offer to verify one’s BVN or such other idiocy. When I get such a call or text, I usually ask, until Evans story, why despite registration of SIM-cards, putative criminals still make such dangerous calls.

But with the information that Evans owned tens of SIM-cards, with registration particulars that have no link to him; is the essence of the registration exercise not defeated? The Nigerian Communications Commission must wake-up to that challenge. One other notable fall-out of the Evans saga is the existence of many closet ethnic-demagogues, who used Evans ethnic origin, to ply their duplicitous trade.